Rick Ross Wins Rights To His Name

Back in 2010, “Freeway” Rick Ross filed the first of his lawsuits, seeking $10 million dollars, claiming Rick Ross, Def Jam, Jay-Z, Universal Music Group infringed on Freeway Ricky’s intellectual property rights by using the stage name. (Jay-Z was named in the lawsuit because he signed Ross to Island Def Jam in 2006, while he was President of the label).

Freeway Ricky Ross has always maintained that Rick Ross’ image was based largely on his real life image as a former cocaine boss that moved thousands of kilos of crack cocaine in Los Angeles during the mid 80′s and early 90′s, before being caught up in the infamous Iran-Contra Scandal.

He accused rapper Rick Ross, who was once a corrections officer, of basically “stealing his identity” in his songs by rapping about the drug trade and that rapper never dealt drugs in his life.

In the initial case, a judge ruled against “Freeway” Ricky Ross, stating that he did not prove he had “any valid trademark rights in his name, that have been violated by defendants.”

“Freeway” Rick Ross appealed the lawsuit, further claiming ownership of the name. But TMZ revealed that that a judge today ruled “Freeway” Rick still has no case, and threw the lawsuit out yet again.